Packing containers of the non-returnable type are often used at present for the packaging of a great number of different products, e.g. beverages. The packing containers are produced in automatic machines, to which the packing material is supplied in the form of packing container blanks which are converted to packing containers subsequently filled and then closed in the machine. The packing container blanks are made of flexible, but relatively dimensionally stable, material, e.g. a packing laminate which comprises a central carrier layer of fibrous material, e.g. paper, which is coated on either side with liquid-tight, thermoplastic material. The packing laminate frequently also comprises further layers of e.g. different types of thermoplastics, e.g. polyethylene or gas-tight layers of e.g. aluminium foil. The packing container blanks are cut out with such contours that they can be converted without further cutting or other similar machining to finished packing containers. The packing blanks are also frequently preformed inasmuch as they are folded and provided with a longitudinal, liquid-tight seal. The packing container blanks so preformed have a substantially square cross-sectional shape but are flattened for practical reasons during storage, transport and other handling. In this way the packing container blanks require a minimum of space for storage and transport prior to conversion to packing containers in the packing machines. The packing machine must then be provided with an arrangement for the raising of the flattened packing container blanks before the same are given their ultimate container shape by folding and sealing of one end of the tubular blank, filling of the container so formed with the required contents and folding and sealing of the opposite, top end of the packing container to a liquid-tight top with an integral opening arrangement.
A number of arrangements for the raising of flattened packing container blanks are known already. These arrangements are located in the loading portion of a packing machine and are adapted so as to receive one packing container blank at a time from the output end of a magazine wherein the flattened packing container blanks are stacked on top of one another. After the manual loading into the magazine of a number of packing container blanks at a time, the same are moved successively towards the outlet end where they are gripped by the raising device of the packing machine which, generally with the help of suction heads, converts the packing container blank so that it recovers its substantially square cross-sectional shape and transfers it to a conveyer to be passed onto a mandrel-wheel situated in the packing machine where the forming of the package bottom takes place. Known raising devices generally function in a reliable manner but are subject to certain disadvantages. Certain types of raising devices e.g. operate with the help of rotating drivers which during the rotation carry along and successively convert the packing container blanks. This type of raising devices consequently will require a good deal of space. Other known raising devices operate instead with a reciprocating movement which makes it possible to construct the arrangements in a more space-saving manner. However, these types of raising devices in general are much slower and cannot be used in machines with a high capacity. Both the known arrangements described have the further decisive disadvantage that they can operate with packing container blanks which are supplied from a magazine. On account of this, among other things, one magazine is required at each loading station in the packing machine which creates a large space requirement. Moreover, the filling of the magazines with packing container blanks is inconvenient and time-consuming.